The economy is weighing heavily on Americans’ minds, according to a new NPR poll that shows it dominating all other major issues. An overwhelming 97 percent of respondents say the economy is doing poorly, but there are doubts that the stimulus package will be enough to help.

The economy and jobs were listed as the top issue by 56 percent of respondents, followed by 11 percent who said taxes and spending were most important. By comparison, only 3 percent cited the Iraq war, and 1 percent named the war in Afghanistan as the top issue.

The first measure of President Obama’s rating in the NPR poll, conducted March 10-14, shows 59 percent of Americans approving of the job he’s doing, compared with 35 percent disapproving. The reviews for Congress are nearly the mirror opposite of those for the president: 58 percent disapprove of the job it’s doing, while 36 percent approve.

In the face of a recession that has destroyed billions in family savings and home values, Americans remain convinced that personal initiative and hard work are the key to big rewards, and they continue to repudiate the idea of government intervention to alleviate economic inequality, according to two Pew-sponsored reports.

Not only do voters continue to be convinced, by large majorities, that they, and not government or big corporations, control their own destinies in the midst of the current recession, but they do so despite more long-term evidence suggesting that there is less class mobility in the United States than in most Northern European countries, or in Canada, and that U.S. wages have not kept up with productivity gains for the past three decades.

This conviction underpins the long-standing American hostility to a full-fledged welfare state — along the lines of many European counties — and underpins the lack of a strong socialist tradition in the US. It also shapes the debate over policies to deal with the current recession, including the Obama administration’s rejection of bank nationalization.

A coalition of environmental groups said Monday they’re launching a campaign in support of a severance tax on natural gas drilling from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale strata.

The various groups, which range from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to the American Farmland Trust, said during a telephone news conference that they want a portion of any severance tax dedicated to conservation purposes in the state.

The group also released a survey that showed that a majority of Pennsylvanians would support a tax on natural gas drilling.

[…]

David Metz, senior vice president with Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, said the bipartisan poll of 600 voters was conducted from Feb. 28 to March 3 with Public Opinion Strategies.

According to Metz, 53 percent of respondents said they would support a severance tax, while 37 percent said they were opposed.

Public Opinion Strategies helped us to clarify what we wanted to learn and then conducted research and analysis that shed light even beyond the questions we set out to ask. They were very receptive to our suggestions, responsive to our queries, and flexible when we needed them to be.

Public Opinion Strategies has consistently offered unparalleled advice and spot-on polling that has shaped how and where we spent money and deploy key resources. Additionally, they have always been an excellent steward of limited campaign resources, ensuring we spend wisely and not a dollar more than necessary in order to get the information we need.

Robert Blizzard and Public Opinion Strategies did a great job for us throughout our successful campaign for Congress. Robert gave us accurate data, spot on analysis, and professional advice, all of which were essential to our victory.

Public Opinion Strategies is one of our go-to pollsters when it comes to testing public support for bond ballot measures and other initiative proposals. They are available to provide ongoing consultation with regard to crafting of ballot questions, public outreach messaging, and related efforts.

ACLI has worked with Public Opinion Strategies for decades, through several tough industry battles—often ones in which public opinion does not naturally fall on the side of insurers. Yet Bill and his team consistently provide invaluable strategic advice by refining our messages and helping us frame our issues in a way that makes them understandable and persuasive.

The data from Public Opinion Strategies provided important insight and informed our public awareness campaign. We sincerely appreciate their professionalism and expertise in this arena.

Nicole McCleskey and the team at Public Opinion Strategies have been invaluable to me, both during my campaigns and as Governor of the State of New Mexico. It’s not just the accuracy of their numbers, but guiding the overall strategy that makes them so valuable.

Public Opinion Strategies has been a part of our team in Missouri for more than a decade. With their data and guidance, Republicans here were able to attain a majority in the House in 2002 for the first time in fifty years, and we have been able to grow that majority to the point that we now have a record, veto-proof majority.

In my tenure at two leading business associations, facing huge and complex consumer issues, I have benefitted enormously from the objective advisory skills of Bill and his team. They do their homework, they are rigorous, dispassionate and thoughtful. Turning questions into answers is a clever tag, but it’s also an apt description of the professional talents of the firm.

I consider Public Opinion Strategies to be a part of our team. That is the way we have always worked. They have helped us to understand our needs and fashioned research solutions to meet those needs. They have helped us to meet killer deadlines by being flexible, executing rapidly, and insuring quality. Teamwork is the best way to describe it.

Accuracy, speed, and deep knowledge of key issues and public sentiment are the hallmarks of quality opinion research, and on these measures Public Opinion Strategies consistently delivers. I have had the pleasure of working with Public Opinion Strategies for more than 15 years on dozens of issues, and they are undoubtedly the gold standard.

Public Opinion Strategies’ track record of success and wealth of experience in political campaigns and issue advocacy are why they are one of the most trusted and well respected public opinion firms in Washington, D.C. Their insights and perspectives have helped to inform a wide array of public affairs activities across multiple industries.